Field
Implementations of the present invention relate to natural language processing. In particular, implementations relate to selection of a desired, best or correct translation of a word or combination of words, allowing for context and subject matter of surrounding text in general and words in particular to influence selection.
Description of the Related Art
Most words in any language may have several lexical meanings, including homonyms, homographs, grammatical variants (different parts of speech), different semantic meanings in general, and different semantic meanings in different fields, etc. The process where a human translator translates a text generally assumes allowance for context and the subject matter of the translation. The subject matter of the translation implies a certain area of human knowledge to which the text for translation generally applies. This could be jurisprudence (law), chemistry, construction, social science, medicine, automobiles, business and so on. Context implies what comes around a specific word in a text and which forms a specific, nuanced meaning for this word. For example, in the expression “he went into the bank”, the word “bank” could mean many things including “a building in which a financial institution is located.” In the expression “he placed his money in the bank”, however, the word “bank” means specifically the “financial institution” itself, not the specific physical structure of a “bank.” But, in the sentence “they walked along the river bank”, the word “bank” doesn't relate to any financial institution.
Generally, according to the subject matter of a translation and the context for its use, words in a foreign language must be translated in accordance with meaning or sense that are specific for the particular subject matter and the surroundings that form the context.
When completing a translation with an electronic dictionary, a translator (e.g., a person) usually manually chooses the meaning of a translation variant by selecting a certain specialized dictionary in which descriptions are given of translations of notions used in a given field, or of a particular word meaning from a dictionary entry, based on an understanding of the context for use. Using computer programs, translators can select a proper specialized dictionary only in cases when a “subject field” of a text to be translated is defined a priori, but selection of a proper or preferred lexical meaning among several equi-frequent meanings is a more complex problem.
Historically, it has been difficult to automate selection of specialized dictionaries and to find a proper, specific translation of a word based on an analysis of context and the subject field to which the text in question relates. Therefore, there is a substantial opportunity to improve this type of technology.